Once upon a time, you discovered that love was not fairytale. It may be small comfort to know that many others have made this discovery as well, but it is never an easy realization to learn that your garden of love was little more than a field of weeds. Nevertheless, like other women, you left an unpleasant relationship with the only blossoming that doomed love produced–your child. Now that you are through with a negative love relationship and have a child to raise, you have some important decisions to make and one of them is how to collect child support from a father who disavows his claim to fatherhood. 
 
Dad’s Denial 
Single mothers often spend months–even years–in pure shock that a father could deny his paternity or walk away from his own child, but it is sadly more common than one would expect. An increase in such unwilling fathers is why so much new legislation has been passed in order to ensure that children are properly cared for. Women in situations like this have more options than ever before to collect support on behalf of their child. It isn’t about revenge or spite; it’s about standing firm for your child’s needs and being the best mother you can be. 
 
Going to Court 
When faced with a man who denies paternity of his child, it’s best to take immediate and decisive action. First, arm yourself with information. Push away all the overwhelming fears about courts and lawyer expenses and get to researching. Once you unravel the process of taking someone to court, you will discover that it isn’t as complicated as, perhaps, you thought and there are plenty of affordable attorneys who specialize in cases such as this. Moreover, once a judge forces your ex to submit to a paternity test, most of your court drama is over. You can begin to rely on the court to exact a plan of support. In fact, in many cases, attorneys are not even needed to go through a hearing process and establish a child’s paternity.  
 
Of course, collecting payment can be fraught with headaches, but once paternity is proven and the courts have stepped in, you are not alone anymore. You don’t have to beg, call, or negotiate for financial support on your own. A court may decide to garnish the father’s wages if he doesn’t voluntarily pay child support, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the law is on your child’s side when it comes to questions of support.  
 
The Benefits of a DNA Test 
Some women hesitate when it comes to DNA testing to prove a man is the father of their child. They fear revenge or a diminishing of their own rights as a parent. Keep in mind that this has less to do with you than your child. Your child deserves the support of a father–even if that support is only financial. Establishing paternity through DNA can also entitle your child to medical coverage under the father’s insurance, inheritance rights, and legitimacy. If the father is hostile about his role or negligent, he may be denied visitation rights. On the other hand, he may have been the villain of your fairytale, but he may discover that the role of fatherhood agrees with him and become a better man once he is compelled to acknowledge his responsibility.  
 
Love relationships can be rocky, but parenting is a separate issue. You and your ex may hate each other, but your child deserves to be acknowledged by both parents. Through DNA testing and a court-ordered plan for support, you can give your child the childhood he or she deserves. 

Author Bio:

Guest post contributed by Victoria for DNA Worldwide Group - Experts in DNA testing. Visit DNA-Worldwide.com for more information.